After Orre
by LurkMore
Summary: Wes and Rui defeated Cipher, saved all the Shadow Pokemon and admitted their feelings for each other. What did they do next and where were they during Cipher's insurrection five years later. A post-Colosseum story.
1. Prologue

**A/N: And so we begin. All rights to Nintendo/Game Freak/Genius Society**

My name is Wesley Leo Thomas though I have been called many names in my life. For I time I was known simply as 'Boy' or 'Runt' when I was a rookie member of Team Snagem, another one of Gonzap's "motivational" techniques. During my war with Cipher, the Orre News Network later dubbed me 'El Cruzador," the merciless desert warrior who defeated everyone in his way. Cipher called me 'Saint' Wes, mocking my desire to save the Shaodw Pokemon I helped create. My girlfriend calls me Wessie. But the most common name I have been called in my life is 'Thief.'

I have always been a thief. At first I stole to survive the harsh deserts of Orre. Then I stole because I was quite good at it and no one could tell me otherwise. When I changed my life around, I stole for a noble cause, to save all the Pokemon from a terrible fate and help right some the wrongs I caused as a thief. But I saved my greatest act of thievery for last. I stole the heart of the woman who was always by my side, who believed in me when I didn't even believe in myself. The woman who was my partner on the great crusade and fought with me, through all the blood, sweat, and tears. Rui was always an afterthought in the minds of some people, but I could never have accomplished anything without her. She is my rock and my greatest joy in life.

If you are reading this, then despite my best efforts Cipher is back and still up to their old tricks. If you are reading this, then I am somewhere far away from the deserts of Orre. I could be far away in another land or my actions finally caught up to me and I am dead in a backwater ditch somewhere. It has been a good run. Hopefully my snag machine has been destroyed, it is simply too dangerous of a weapon in the hands of most people. If Cipher ever got it back, the results would be devastating.

You all know my story. The Desert Crusader who came from nowhere and singlehandedly stopped the vicious crime syndicate known as Cipher and their Shadow Pokemon scheme. But I am not a hero, just another Orre goon with some talent raising Pokemon. Orre knows my story by now. Duking and the kids made sure of that. They propped me up as a great figure, as an inspiration to Orre to what one man could do. I was a sign that there was a path other than crime, of what Orre could be if people opened their minds and believed in each other. I was to represent a better future for that desert land.

This is a not a record of my fight against Cipher, this is a record of what came after. After Orre.


	2. New Beginnings

No matter how many Shadow Pokemon I helped free from their taint, I always watched in awe when the Relic Stone worked its magic. A Togetic I snatched from Fein, my Cipher doppleganger, bathed itself in the holy light of the Stone and freed itself from the corruption around its heart. Togetic spun around and looked at me with open eyes, the long suffering hatred it once knew no longer present. I had expected for it to rush at me, like so many other of the Shadow Pokemon I purified. Instead, it took a long look at me and surprisingly waddled over to Rui and slowly nuzzled her legs.

"Hey now, watcha doing there you big cutie" she giggled out as she affectionately ruffled Togetic's spiky head. Togetic cooed softly as she enjoyed the gesture.

I chuckled softly at the scene. "She seems to like you Rui, its said Togetic are drawn to the kindness in other people and Pokemon's hearts. Why don't you adopt her. I'm not sure there is anyone more suited to raise a Togetic than you."

"Do you think so Wes? Togetic are quite rare, you know. I'm not sure I can do a Pokemon like this Togetic justice."

"I'm being serious Rui, I think you should keep her. Its not like I can keep all the Pokemon we rescued, there are just too many of them. And she clearly likes you given she hasn't moved from your legs. Besides, if you seriously want to be a trainer, you could use a Pokemon with a little more punch than Sparky"

Sparky, the Plusle that formerly belonged to Duking, let out an angry chirp at that comment. From her ever-present location on Rui's shoulder, Sparky directed a small discharge in my general direction.

"Alright, I'm sorry, I get it" I exclaimed as I jumped backwards to avoid the thundershock. Sol and Luna, my ever faithful Espeon and Umbreon sniggered in the background. I shot them a glare.

"Oh be nice Wes, Sparky been with us as long as any Pokemon here. Don't mind Wes now, sweetie, I think he has sand in his boots." Rui cooed to Sparky as she stroked the sweet spot behind her big ear. Sparky beamed. She turned her attention back to the Togetic snuggling her and Rui's face beamed as she saw just how much the Togetic was attached to her.

"Well now girl, do you want to come with us and see the world, eh?"

Togetic jumped up and flapped her wings until she was eye level with Rui, a good sign for the fairy creature. A goofy grin graced its features.

"Alright then, welcome to the team. But you need a name. How does … Zephyr sound?"

Zephyr cried out in joy and lifted one of its stubby arms in celebration. Rui jumped up and fist pumped the air as well, matching Zephyr's celebration. Rui snatched Zephyr down from the air and pulled her new friend into a crushing hug.

"Oh, we will be the bestest friends, you and me and Sparky and all of Wes' friends as well. I can't wait for you to meet them" Rui pulled Zephyr's Pokeball from her pack and held it out for Zephyr. "Well Zephyr, its time to meet the rest of the team, now with a hundred percent less creepy Shadow Pokemon."

Zephyr's eyes grew wide and smashed one of her arms against the capture mechanism and Zephyr was absorbed in a beam of red light. The Happiness Pokemon was happy once more in Rui's loving care.

"Well that was certainly something that happened. I'm not sure I believe what I just saw" I deadpanned to no one in particular.

"Would it kill you to show some emotion every now and then Wes? Being a grump the entire time doesn't suit you, you know. You should be try celebrating a good occasion for once. Hell, this entire thing was your brilliant idea."

"I thought you knew by now my middle name is Humbug." I replied with a smirk. "But you may be right for once. Now where did I stash that bottle…?"

"Wes, you are completely insufferable. But I wonder, what should we do next? According to the data the Kids Grid dragged up, Zephyr was the last Shadow Pokemon. We snagged them all and now have purified them all. We won Wes, we saved all the Pokemon… Did we?" Rui wondered aloud.

"I dunno Rui. It seems like it, but it can't be over. Not yet. There has to be more we can do, something we missed, someplace we overlooked..." I stared to reply before I realized three of my Pokeballs suddenly felt as if they were filled with rocks. And I knew which three Pokemon were contained within

Entei, beast of Fire. Suicuine, beast of the North Wind. Raikou, beast of Thunder. I have no idea how Cipher got their hands on the three great beasts, but the fact that they did was terrifying. These Pokemon were legendary creatures and they possessed incomprehensible power. And they once served Cipher terrifying cause. If I had not come along when I did, who knows how much trouble Cipher could have caused with the Beasts. The beasts were trying to tell me something, that maybe my mission was over after all. That the beasts had played their part in my crusade and now it was time to set them free. And maybe they were right.

 _How many trainers would kill to have one Legendary Beast under their control, let alone three? And now I'm gonna release all of them? Forget taking on Cipher, this is the most insane thing ever done._ I exhaled loudly and gathered the balls of the Beasts in my hand.

I knew it was the right thing to in the end, but I hesitated for a moment longer. I had the power of the three Beasts within my hand, and I wanted to savor that feeling if only for a moment longer. At that moment, I felt like I understood Cipher even just for a microsecond. Such power is intoxicating and its hard to give it up, but I fought Cipher and I would not let their wickedness possess me anymore. I gave up that life when I blew up the Snagem base. I held down the center button of the balls and triggered the release mechanism for the Pokemon within. The center of the ball turned blue and the three great Beasts shot out of their ball and stood before me, in all of their great wonder.

The power of volcanoes, of thunder, of winds. They stood before me looking at me, judging me. And I knew what I had to do.

"You are free now, my friends. The Shadow Pokemon are saved, you are saved. It is time for you to run amongst the wilds once more. Hopefully you will not find yourself enslaved to the evils of man once more. It has been my pleasure, great Beasts. May we meet again, if our fortunes allow it." I croaked out. I didn't realize my voice could crack like a pre-pubescnet kid anymore.

The three Beasts all roared as one and if one listened closely, it was not impossible to hear the distant sound of thunder nor volcanic grumblings from Mt. Battle. I expected the Beasts to scatter and run off to parts unknown, but instead they remained stationary, as if they were waiting for something.

"Look up Wes, its a rainbow!" Rui exclaimed as she suddenly gripped my hand. I felt the blood rush to my face and turned my head upwards to both look for the rainbow and to avoid Rui's gaze.

Indeed, where there was nothing but clear skies a moment ago, a gorgeous rainbow now commandeered the space above us. And as if on cue, a forth creature cried out and we saw a giant bronze bird fly through the rainbow. Ho-Oh, the legendary Pokemon and the master of the Beasts had graced our presence for perhaps the last time. Had the Beasts called out to their master and let him know they were free? That their human trainer had done the honorable action?

"W-wes, why are they glowing?"

I snapped my head back down and my eyes snapped open in a way I didn't know possible. The three Beasts, along with the Relic Stone, glowed with a rainbow aura greater than a thousand suns. The aura grew too bright for my eyes and I had to lower my goggles and turn away. The Beasts roared for one last time and the intense light soon faded away. I opened my eyes back up and saw the Beasts were no longer there. In their place were three gems, each one a color of their respective Beast, as well as a single bronze feather, with a Rainbow glow

"What do you think they are Wes?" asked Rui as she strolled forward to get a better look. She bent over to touch the objects and I felt my loins tighten as I gazed upon her ass. I was attracted to her, no doubt, in both body and soul. She was my everything and I didn't want to leave her, not yet. I couldn't. We still had lots more to accomplish together. And at that moment, I knew what I had to do.

"I don't know for sure, Rui." I coughed out as I mentally kicked myself and forced myself to recollect my thoughts. I'm fairly positive the feather is a Rainbow Wing, a token of Ho-Oh's appreciation. The stories say Ho-Oh will reward the few trainers it deems worthy with a token from itself. As Ho-Oh is the master of the three Beasts, perhaps it deemed us one of the chosen as a gesture for saving Entei, Raikou, and Suicune. I'm less certain what the stones are, but they have to be related to the Beasts, maybe. Perhaps the stones and the Wing are a sign we will meet again one day, when their services are needed one more." I scooped up the Stones and the Feather and stored the objects within one of my inner coat pockets.

"I'd like that, I think. To meet all the legendary Pokemon we did in a journey in a once in a generation event. Think of all the trainers and breeders and everyone associated with Pokemon. The vast majority of them will never a single legendary Pokemon and yet we met five. What are the odds Wes, that the two of us would every have an adventure like us? But I don't think anyone would believe us, its too crazy a story to be true." Rui mention as she spun around and looked me in the face.

I paused for a second and lost myself in her beauty. The way her auburn hair reflected the light of Rainbow was brilliant, I never saw anything quite like it. And then there was the way I saw myself in her shining blue eyes. I saw myself in a way I never saw myself in a mirror or my reflection. I saw what I could be, the man who I wanted to become, not the man I wanted to leave dead and buried. A man Rui and others could be proud of, not just some podunk desert junker who lowered himself to the deepest bases of man.

"You still there Wes? Hello? Orre-to Wes, come in Wes." Rui giggled as she waved a hand in front of my face, disturbing my thoughts.

"I zoned out there Rui, thinking about what you said. What we should do next. And I know what I want to do right now, and its been something I wanted to do for a while actually."

"Oh, what's that -" as Rui's words faded away as her lips met mine. I felt her tongue swirl around mine and heard her moan ever so slightly. She fell into my arms and I pulled her into my embrace. I never quite realized how warm she was until that moment. It was like holding the sun in your hand and feeling the warmth that would always keep you safe, no matter the circumstances. Feeling embolden by her reaction, I moved my hand lower until I could feel her shapely posterior and I gave it a quick squeeze

Rui gave a sharp squeal and broke our embrace. "Woah there Mr. Hero, I do need to have some dignity leftover after all. Though you did end up tasting like how I thought you would." Rui teased me as she wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

"Oh, and what do I taste like?"

"Sand. All those years inhaling the desert from your bike has not been good for your breath."

I made a face as Sol and Luna unleashed some unholy noise not unlike covered up laughter. I shot them a glare as I turned back to Rui.

"Since when did the Rui I know become some sort of minx?"

"Probably around the time I saw you come out of the hotel shower barely wearing a towel. You have quite the flattering body you know. It was quite a shock to see how you really looked, wearing almost nothing. That coat doesn't flatter you at all. You have all the money in the world now, you should buy some new clothes"

"My coat is just fine, thank you very much. And if I had know how irresistible I am, perhaps I would have taken more showers after all. Seeing you all flustered would have been worth it"

"I am not flustered. And there was never a good time to tell you when we had Cipher goons breathing down our neck"

"Well Cipher is gone now and we're all alone in a mystical forest. I don't think there's anyone or anything that can stop us now. How would you like to see me a little differently now, eh Rui? I want you Rui, I can't let you go. Not yet." as I stepped forward and cupped her face.

"I definitely can't let you go either Wes, not after what just happened. I quite enjoyed those lips of yours and Arceus damn me if some other harlot gets her hands on you. I want you too Wes, more than ever" Rui whispered in my ear as she moved her hands towards the buttons of my coat.

…

"Oh-hohoho, young love is such a precious moment, isn't it now" an old and wizened, yet familiar voice made itself known behind us. I jumped out of my boots as Rui and I turned around and saw old man Eagun behind us with a curious look on his face. One eyebrow was bursting from his face and his mouth was cocked in a half-grin. Rui's face turned the exact shade of red as her hair and she quickly ducked behind me.

"G-g-grandpa, what are you doing here" Rui sputtered out in disbelief. She looked like she was going to faint.

"I came here to check out the rainbow that appeared from nothing. Its not every day that phenomena occurs. I most certainly did not expect to witness that display of affection." Eagun's voice began to trail off in a mixture of embarrassment and teasing comedy.

"How much of that did you witness, exactly?" I managed to sputter out.

"Oh enough of it, I suppose. I'm surprised that Espeon of yours didn't realize I was coming. Or maybe she did and just wanted to mess with you. You should have seen your faces, they were quite amusing."

I turned around to find Sol and Luna only to see them rolling around on their backs laughing on the tile of the Relic Stone

"Arceus help me, you two are the worst" I muttered under my breath

"Anyway, I wish Rui's father was here right now. Being able to see his reaction would have been priceless hahaha." Eagun snorted out in laughter

"Grandpa, no! Please don't tell my dad. Oh Arceus no, he will ground me forever." I felt Rui holding onto my shoulders, her arms trembling rapidly

"Oh don't worry about that. Your little secret is safe with me. No one has to know if you don't want them to. Now why don't the two of you come back to Beluh with me and we can have a nice, quiet chat about things" Eagun sagely replied before he gave us a wink and wandered off back to his tree home.

I turned back to Rui and she no longer resembled a human tomato. Instead she was as pale as a ghost.

"How are you holding up Rui?"

Oh Wes, I can't do it. I can't believe Grandpa saw me like that, with you, acting like, like a -" she sobbed out, her face on the verge of the tears. I gathered her in my arms and softly ran a finger under her eyes as I collected her tears. My other hand rubbed the small of her back and I rested my head upon hers.

"I'm here Rui, your gallant knight will always be here for you. Don't cry now, it's not a look that fits you. You are one of the bravest, strongest people I have met. Never forget that you stared down a ruthless crime syndicate in their own turf and never blinked once. There aren't many people who can have that claim. And never forget that you are a woman who can make her own choices in love and whatever else she wants to. Though I don't think Eagun was mad or anything, just highly amused."

"Thanks Wes. You always know how to cheer me up."

"What kind of boyfriend would I be if I didn't. Now lets go catch up with Eagun"

Rui nodded and wiped away her remaining tears. The smile that I had grown to love soon reappeared as she slipped her hand into mine. And Rui and I strolled through the Agate forest hand-in-hand as we walked the first steps of our new journey as one.

 **A/N: Well that's that then. I kinda wanted to get this over with so apologies if its rushed at the end. Wes and Rui are a couple now and totally in wuv with each other. There's just a few lose ends in Orre to take care of before the real story can begin, so there will be a few more intro chapters of sorts. Later**


	3. Meet the (Grand) Parents

I took a seat on Eagun and Beluh's old couch with Rui next to me. Despite her being less than three feet from me, she kept her hands to herself, not wanting her grandparents to witness any more affectionate moments. Which is hard to accomplish when said grandparents were sitting directly across from us on the other side of the table. It was hard to read Eagun's expression through his head full of hair and Beluh wore the same kindly old person face she always did.

"So my little girl has finally grown up"

"Grandpaaaaaaaaaaaaaa"

"Honestly, I am surprised this has not happened sooner. You have been enamored with that boy for how long now? Beluh?"

"Quite a while now, I think. Ever since we met you Wes, it was quite clear Rui was smitten with you."

"Oh come on, I did not immediately fall in love with the first guy that pulled me out of a rucksack." Rui replied indignantly. "It just took a while, that's all." Rui mumbled under her breath.

"What was that dear?"

"Nothing, nothing"

"None the less, we are quite happy for the both of you. You as well Wes, you seem like you mellowed out some, you're more open than before. It suits you."

"It took me a while, but I learned some things about myself, about Pokemon, even about Orre on this journey of mine. Rui was invaluable and her infectious personality rubbed off on me. If it wasn't for her, I'd probably be dead in a sand dune by now. I grew up and realized I couldn't be part of the problem anymore. I have a question of my own though. You mentioned something about Rui's father. What was that bit about?"

"My dad, well he wasn't around much growing up. He's some bigshot executive at Silph and spent more time at work than he ever did at home. He was married to his job rather than his family. Its why my mom left him some years ago. She felt neglected and I can't say I blame her. Of course, my dad got custody because of his paycheck and mom took the settlement money. She's living the high-society life somewhere or other, finding rich men to give her attention. I blame her for that though."

That surprised me. Rui never gave the impression she came from a broken home as well. It seems her personality was able to mask her own issues better than I thought. Then it hit me, I never actually asked about her parents, or her past. I barely even asked her why she decided to visit her grandparents in the first place. I decided to rectify this issue when I could get her alone.

"I suppose I share some of the blame for my son as well. I was not the greatest father in the world myself he took all the wrong lessons from my, uh, parenting. I was still trying to salvage what remained of my battling career and did not give my son as much attention as I should have. It took me a long while to finally remember what was truly important in life. But by then, it was too late." Eagun softly butted in with his own memories. "When I was his age, I wasn't too different from him."

"Oh nonsense" Beluh sharply rebutted. "You were a stubborn, Tauros-headed fool at times, yes, but you did care for the boy in your own way. Even if it was a bit strange and non-sensible at times.

"Honestly, I'm surprised he even let me come to Orre in the first place. Despite never being present in my life, he always hand his plans and ideas on how I should live my life. And I'm fairly certain wandering around a desert and chasing down a criminal gang wasn't one of them... Or falling for some dark and mysterious desert wanderer." I almost bluushed

"Speaking of which, do you have plans for the future? I cannot have just anybody whisk my granddaughter off to parts unknown, oh-hohoho."

"We were talking things through one day and we both decided we wanted to leave Orre, at least for a while. There's nothing left here for me, or for us. Cipher is defeated and no longer a threat, the Shadow Pokemon are all saved and purified, and Orre is the most peaceful its been in quite a while. I even conquered Mt. Battle. The only thing left in Orre is more sand and we're both sick of the desert. We were planning to go off to Kanto, maybe Johto. Rui traveled through my, uh, 'home' and I think traveling through hers would be a good idea. Or anywhere that isn't a desert, really."

"Yeah, plus after everything that just happened I want to become a trainer too and take on the gym challenge myself. Dad never let me have my own Pokemon before but I don't he think he can brush me aside anymore. I even have another Pokemon now, come on out Zephyr." Rui grabbed the ball from her pocket and released Zephyr."

"Tooooooooooooogetic"

Rui released Zephyr onto the table and the Happiness Pokemon bounced over to Beluh and Eagun and gave the two of them a heartwarming hug. Beluh ruffled Zephyr's head spikes and Eagun stroked his beard, deep in thought.

"It is absolutely adorable, Rui. Where did you get a Pokemon like this? Beluh wondered in amazement.

"I recognize this Pokemon. This was the Shadow Pokemon that was featured on the news, the one that belonged to Wes' duplicate and causing trouble." Eagun added.

"The same one, but we purified Zephyr and she's back to her original self. She wanted to come with me for some reason and well, I couldn't say no. Just look at her. Between Sparky and Zephyr, I'm going to form a team that can defeat even Wes' Pokemon. Just you wait."

"Heh, you got a long way to go Rui before you can match my level. But if you put in the work, you'll get there one day."

"Oh I know I will, that's a promise Wes."

I couldn't stop myself from smirking just a little. Rui as a master Pokemon trainer would be one of the funnier things to grace this world, so I rooted for her to succeed and I promised to help her however I could. But most trainers her age had far more experience and Rui would be rapidly playing catch-up. Though only a few trainers could match the bond she had with Pokemon, so I knew she would be a fast learner. Zephyr and Sparky were far above most rookie trainer's skill levels. But it was time to get to what I really wanted to do before we left.

"Eagun, how many trainers do you see traveling through Agate? Actual trainers, not just members of the senior citizen brigade."

"We see enough of them, I suppose. Agate is mostly a pit stop for trainers to resupply before they head off to Gateon or Mt. Battle. And there are a few Pyritians as well. Why do you ask?

"I'd like to give you a few of the Pokemon I've obtained as safe-keeping of sorts. You're a good judge of character Eagun, look at me. If one of those travelers makes a good impression on you, I'd like you to give them one of my Pokemon. I can't keep all of the Pokemon I snagged happy with me on our travels, I honestly really only trained a handful of them. They could use a good home with a good trainer who will give them the love and attention they deserve."

"Hmmm, what do you think about this Rui? Could you take some of Wes' Pokemon?

"I mean, I already kinda did. Zephyr came with me from Wes and the same with Sparky as well. I want to become a trainer myself and this is something I need to do on my own. Going out in the world with anymore of Wes' Pokemon just wouldn't be fair. He has a couple I would like to use, sure, but I want this to be my team, not Wes' B team."

"Heh heh heh, spoken like a true trainer, Rui. Alright Wes, I agree to your proposal. Though all these newfangled technologies are beyond my capabilities. You're gonna have to help me with the process just a bit."

"I can do that Eagun. Leave everything to me."

I felt my PDA buzz in my pocket and the screen said I received an e-mail from Duking. I played with the screen and quickly read over the message.

 _Wes,  
_

 _I got some good news for you. Swing by my office when you have some time and we can discuss business. Bring Rui with you as well._

 _\- Duking  
_

"Who was that Wes?" Rui asked me.

"Duking. Says he has 'good news'. Wants us to meet. Probably shouldn't keep him waiting too long."

"You should stay the night with us. It is getting quite late out. I'm sure ol' Duking can wait until tomorrow. We do only have the one guest room however, so try to be on your best behavior, eh." I felt Eagun's gaze bury itself into my face and I actually felt flustered for once. I glanced over to Rui and she had her head bent over, buried in the palms of both hands. I'm sure she was furiously blushing."

"Look, I can stay in the Pokemon Center for the night. Its not a big deal, especially if makes you and Beluh feel better."

"Oh nonsense, what kind of hosts would we be if we made you sleep in the Center? Giving you a hard time is the most fun this old bag of bones has had in years. Your reactions are very amusing. Though I am quite serious about no funny business in the same bed."

"I'm glad you find pleasure in our embarrassment. I think Rui wants to crawl into the world's smallest hole right now."

Rui mumbled something incomprehensible and just groaned.

* * *

I stared up at the great earthen roof of my room and observed how the bark of the great tree made up some of the walls. I knew some kids made tree-houses, but I believe this was another level. Sol and Luna were curled up against my feet at the base of the bed, their fur brushed against my feet. I found Eagun's house to be surprisingly warm and I quickly tossed my coat, my boots, and most of my clothes into a small pile on the floor. I only had my undershirt and shorts on and I felt the cool breeze of the outside air on my skin.

"Oh my, I see someone made themselves comfortable."

I turned my head and saw Rui enter the room. She let her hair down to her shoulders and was wearing nothing but a thin pink slip that went down to her thighs. Her hair was still dank and I realized I was staring at her, my mouth slightly open. Rui merely smiled and climbed onto the bed next me. She slowly placed a hand on my chest and ran a finger over one my scars.

"Oh Wes, you look like you have never seen your girlfriend half-naked before."

"Not like that, no. Or maybe its the first time my eyes have truly seen how pretty you are. And I quite like what I see." Rui's hand was still on my chest.

"I'm surprised you can see anything at all with those goggles ..." I rolled over and placed a kiss on Rui's pretty lips. Our eyes closed and none of us made a sound as we savored the moment. I placed a hand on her thigh and slowly made my way up her leg. I placed my other hand on her back and snuck it inside her slip. As I moved my hands, I heard Rui moan ever so softly and that sound drove me inside. I found myself on top and staring directly into her eyes, my hands all over her soft body. She moved her gaze lower, beneath my chest, and her eyes opened impossibly wide.

"Wes, we.. we have to stop. We promised them that we wouldn't. And there is no way I could face them in the morning, if, we, you know."

"You're right, I know, I know. It's just I can't control myself sometimes. I take one look at you and you're gorgeous and, you know." I groaned out while I rolled onto my back.

"There will be plenty of time for that later on, just tonight would be a really bad night. Now why don't you hold your gorgeous girlfriend and use me as your pillow for the night."

"I'd like that very much. Good night Rui." I said as I failed to notice Sol and Luna hop off the bed and bury their heads in the floor.

…

"Rui"

"Yes Wes?"

"I realized something earlier. I never really asked you about your family or your life before you came to Orre? You and Eagun talking about your Dad and it hit me, I don't know that much about you. Much less than you know of me"

"Is this your attempt at pillow talk?"

"No, I'm being serious. I'm your boyfriend now, I should know more about the very special woman in my life. I know you came here to visit your grandparents, but why now? Orre isn't the best place for a vacation even during the best of times."

"… I don't really want to talk about it… no that's not right. I'm a new woman now, I can't avoid it forever. Ir was the divorce mainly. Mom didn't want a teenage girl cramping her new single freedom and Dad never really cared. The judge decided I would be better off with Dad's money and so he got custody. But he wasn't much of a parent, not in a long while.

I felt my parents drifting away and I wasn't wanted by them anymore. And that feeling of abandonment was crushing. Its why I left Kanto, I needed to go somewhere I was wanted. Grandpa and Grandma were always so great to me, even I didn't see them that often, and were more than happy to let me live with them for a while. They figured Agate's atmosphere would help cheer me up. I don't think they expected me to get kidnapped by the local goon squad, and well, you know the rest."

I pulled Rui into a hug and held her closely with her head on my chest.

"I'm sorry Rui. No one should have to deal with parents such as yours. If I ever meet them, I'll be sure to tell Sol to give them a wedgie."

"Hahaha, I'd like that. If I'm being honest, some of the reason I followed you around at first was because you needed me to identify the Shadow Pokemon. It felt nice, being wanted by somebody for a change."

"Oh, you have no idea just how much I want you." I said in my most suggestive tone possible.

"You're a terrible flirt Wes." she said playfully. "But its time to go to sleep for real this time. Good night Wes."

Rui snuggled up against my side and we both slowly fell asleep.

* * *

I woke up to the sounds of chirping Pidgey and the sight of a red-headed angel curled up in the crook of my shoulder. Rui was still sleeping like a baby and I felt the most refreshed in a long, long, time. But as much I wanted this moment to last, we had a long trip to Pyrite ahead of us and we had to get moving eventually. A sweet aroma filtered through the air not unlike Tauros Bacon

"Wake up dear, its time to get moving" I cooed softly as I ran my fingers through her luscious hair. My other hand tickled that one spot behind her ear.

"Uhh, 5 more minutes Wes" she giggled out as she struck out with one of her hands, playfully hitting me in the forehead.

"Do you smell that Rui, your folks made breakfast for us. And I, for one, would enjoy a quality breakfast instead of dried cactus rations. Again."

"Thinking with your stomach again? Fiiiiiiine."

We quickly got dresses and made our way downstairs to the kitchen. Beluh and Eagun were already half-through their meal and had the news on as background. ONN was babbling about the latest fallouts from Cipher's destruction. They turned to face us with a kindly smile on their faces.

"And how was your night?"

"Peaceful. I haven't had a sleep that refreshing in quite a while. You have the softest pillows."

"I see. Well eat up you two. We made extra bacon and eggs. And waffles. A quality meal is the best way to start the day. And you have a long trip ahead of you, so eat up. We made plenty of extras."

Rui and I ate up and soon had our bellies filled and I felt as if I could take another nap. But there were things to do, such as say farewell to some of my Pokemon.

"I need to make a quick stop by the center and say goodbye to the Pokemon I want to give to you. It shouldn't take that long."

"Of course Wes, I will still be here."

I exited Eagun's house and the first thing I saw was the great sun. Early in the morning it was directly in line with the front door and the almighty rays caught me square in the face. I pushed forward and made my way to the Center where I began the process for a mass Pokemon transfer/release. An official center made the process much smoother. The clerk informed me that I had a few minutes before it began. I gathered the Balls and stepped out back before I released all of them in the open. I scanned the large crowd and looked at all their happy faces. I remember when I first snagged them, they all wore faces of anger and pain. Their eyes were dark, full of hatred, and impossible to talk to. But I freed them from their curse and opened their hearts to living. And now I was going to set them free.

"Yanma, Dunsparce, Qwilfish, Remoraid, Shuckle, Jumpluff and all the rest of you. This is the end of our adventure. I am leaving Orre and I can't simply take all of you with me. But don't be sad, Eagun will take care of you temporarily until he can find you a kind trainer to travel with you."

I choked up as I watched the faces of my Pokemon all fall at once.

"Its for the best you know, I can't give you all the attention and love you deserve. You are the bravest and strongest Pokemon I know. What we been through together, its incomparable. You lot were faced with the abyss, and kicked the abyss in its ugly face. I am proud to have been your trainer. May you find happiness with someone else."

My Pokemon slowly gathered around my feet before they all jumped up at once and knocked me on my rear. They all started licking my face and I found myself at the bottom of a particularly rough Pokepile. I'm sure they were being playful, but I think they were trying to get me to stay with them. Oh how I wanted to take them with me, but I knew giving them away was for the best. If someone told me the best Snagger would have one day released all his catches, I would have laughed at him. And probably would have stolen his Pokemon for good measure. But Snagem was a part of my past dead and buried and I planed to keep it that way. A final measure of regret hit my heart before I recalled my friends into their Balls and I went back into the Center to complete the process. A few minutes later and they were officially out of my care.

I made my back to Eagun's house and gave Eagun the many PokeBalls of my friends.

"They're counting on you Eagun. Don't let them down."

"I won't Wes, that is a promise."

Rui gave each of her grandparents a long hug and I proudly shook Eagun's grizzled old hand. It was known that this day would most likely be the last time we would all be in the same room for quite a while. We finalized our farewells and made our way to the exit.

"Before you go, I have some final words of wisdom. I will go talk to my son, let him know you might swing by his way one of these days. I'll put in a good word for you Wes, so you can hopefully skip the awkward formalities if you ever meet him. He can be a handful at times. Also, please use protection. I'm not that old to be a great-grandfather quite yet."

"Grandpaaaaaaaaaaaa"

* * *

 **A/N: I originally had this chapter and the next as one large chapter before splitting it up and adding a few things. Shouldn't be too long before I finish the next one. Wes won't be giving away all of his Pokémon, just the ones I didn't use in my last playthrough of Colosseum. heh**


	4. Krane

"Ah look at the lovebirds, you are soooooooooo cuuuuuuuuuuuuute together."

"Shut up Cail, or do I need to beat you down a fifth time by now?"

"Big Bad Wes has a giiiiiiiiiiiirlfriend. Hahaha you've gone soft now. HEY EVERYBODY LOOK AT WESLEY NOW!"

"One more word out of you Cail and I swear I will feed you to my Tyranitar." I answered back in with a tone that made even Cail flinch.

"Alright alright, chill already. Just having some fun with you. No need to bust out the big guns. Jeeze"

"Calm down Wes, I'm sure he didn't mean much by it. Besides, we have better things to do other than deal with Cail's bullshit." Rui calmly reassured me.

"Yeah, I hear you. We kept Duking waiting long enough as is"

We left Cail behind us as we moved towards Duking's place. Rui stopped for a moment only to turn backwards towards Cail.

"And Cail? You really need to stop overcompensating. It's not helping your case."

I couldn't stop myself from snorting in laughter. Since when did Rui develop such a sharp tongue? It was surprisingly attractive and I wanted to give her a kiss right there and then. In fact, that's what I actually did. I spun Rui around and I felt her melt into my arms as she lowered her body and my lips met her. I took pleasure in not only Rui but how Cail's eyes widened and even he looked away for a moment. We eventually separated, but not before Rui whispered something in my ears.

"Oh do I have something special planned for you tonight" she said in her most sultry tone possible. I had an idea of what she was referring to, but the thought of Rui acting so bold was not one I could have imagined even a few months ago. Then again, we both changed a great deal during our travels together, often for the better. I shouldn't have been surprised by anything Rui wanted to do, not anymore. And the thought of Rui doing _that_ made me want her even more.

* * *

Rui and I strolled hand-in-hand into Duking's ever familiar drab home. It was the quintessential Pyrite dwelling; old, earthy, and kinda shit looking. But it was his home and nothing could change that.

"Ah Wes, Rui, I'm glad you're here. Come on, have a seat." Duking raised an eyebrow and cheekily added "And congratulations, I guess. You lot make a good couple."

Rui and I nodded and we collapsed in Duking's still-uncomfortable hard-backed chairs. I took a look around his office and noticed how not much has changed since the last time I visited. The only thing worth noting was that Silva was not by Duking's side as usual. Instead, there was an unfamiliar man with rounded glasses and a mop of brown hair.

"Would it hurt to get some new chairs Duking, you could kill a man with these." I snarkily added. "And who's that guy" as I lazily pointed out the unknown man in the room.

"This is Dr. Krane. He's part of the reason I sent for you. But I'll get to him in a minute. The first thing I want to talk about are your future plans. Both of you mentioned about wanting to leave Orre sooner or later. As you know, Orre is a just a tad isolated from Kanto and Johto and the rest of the more, uh, popular areas of the world. Lucky for you, there's a cargo ship on route to Kanto on a supply run making a stop-over in Gateon. The captain is an old buddy of mine and I convinced him to take you on as stowaways. You two deserve a break more than anyone and this a golden opportunity for you."

Duking reached into his back pocket and pulled out a sealed envelope and pushed it towards me. I looked over the letter and noticed the wax 'D' graced the back of the envelope, which signified it as Duking's property. I slipped the letter into an inner pocket in my coat.

"Give that to the Captain, his name is Cid. His boat will be a trawler named the S.S. Aqua. He's a good fellow, if a bit krabby at times. Not that's unusual for most of Gateon's regulars. Speaking of which, Rui. I don't know if you ever been to Gateon Port, but Gateon makes Pyrite look like Phenac. At any given time, its full of drunk sailors, angry dockworkers, and a slew of locals looking to hustle any new arrivals. You should stay close to Wes, he knows what it's like there

"I can take care of myself Mr. Duking, thanks." Rui said with a bit more edge than she maybe intended. "But this is too much. I don't know what to say. Are you sure about this, there is more work to be done cleaning up after Cipher and we could still help out."

"I'm sure you can Rui. I'd just hate to see something awful happen to you now when you're so close to the finish line. And the second bit is nonsense. You kids did enough for Orre and the Shadow Pokemon crisis and everything. Its time to let the adults take charge and make Orre a better place than it has been in the past. We too long turned a blind eye to the crime and the unwritten rules of our society. Wes, you showed us what is possible when we put our mind to it. You gave us hope for the future. Its up to us to build a region where we don't need another Saint Wes to save us from ourselves. Speaking of which, Krane, go introduce yourself."

"Right then. My name is Dr. Jebediah Krane and I am the Orre region's new Pokemon Professor. I was most recently a post-doc assistant under Professor Oak's tutelage in Kanto where I studied Pokemon technology. New sorts of battle items, Pokeballs, and the like. I've come here to set my own lab and -

"That's all well and good and doc, but why did you come to this shithole of a region? I'm sure there's some other country that could use you that isn't blood and sand." I blurted out. I'm not sure why, but something about this Krane bothered me. No one was this magnanimous in Orre, not even me. I had no great morals when I got involved in Cipher's scheme. Initially, I just wanted to mess with Gonzap and the rest of Snagem purely out of spite.

"Wes, be nice." Rui scolded as she turned and shot me a nasty look. "I'm sorry Professor, we had a long day. Please continue."

A momentary scowl crossed Krane's face before it vanished and he continued without missing a line. "As I was about to say, I came here to lend my efforts in solving the Shadow Pokemon issue. You see, I knew Ein when we were both in university together. He was a decent enough guy at first, if a bit withdrawn, and I suppose you could have called us friends. But eventually he started talking about increasing the potential of Pokemon as battling machines and some other dubious theories involving the hearts of Pokemon. He distanced himself from me and eventually dropped out from school and we naturally we lost contact. Imagine my surprise when I learned Ein was the brains behind the Shadow Pokemon process. Maybe if I reached out to him sooner, been there for him, I could have prevented some of this cruelty from ever happening." Krane rambled on, with a tinge of sadness and regret in his voice.

"I really doubt it Doc. From my experiences with Ein, he was a real rat bastard and didn't really care for anyone except his theories and his Shadow creations. I doubt there was anyone who could have fixed Ein. Every time I beat him, he never learned his lesson."

"Even so, I don't think anyone is beyond saving. Even you Wes. From what I hear, you weren't the most upstanding of citizens before you got involved with the Shadow crisis"

"That was a _long_ time ago, Doc. Welcome to Orre. Where kids have to scrap by whatever means necessary for food and shelter. Even it means joining a bunch of crooks." I whispered low and with the meanest look possible.

"Well anyway, I didn't come to talk about the past, I'm here to discuss the future. Between my previous research and the partial research notes you recovered from the Shadow Pokemon Lab, I think I can create a machine that can undo the Shadow Pokemon process. A 'Purify Chamber' of sorts."

"Why would you need to build a machine like that Professor Krane?" Rui wondered aloud. "We purified all the Shadow Pokemon, we snagged them all. I think we did at least" less confident than before.

"That's the thing, Cipher will come back one day. You have may have stopped the leadership but the rank and file will hide and regroup. That's what these criminal gangs always do. Cipher, Rocket, they are all the same. Some savant of a trainer comes around and wipes the group out, but they always lick their wounds and come back for a second round. It may take a year, or even five years, but they will be back, I will stake everything I own on it. And when they do, we need to be ready. Who knows where the almighty El Cruzador will be then? Which brings me to why I'm here. I have a request for you, Wes. I would like to borrow your Snag Machine and research its functions for the purpose of creating a backup. Ein's notes on the Snag Machine are unclear and I feel I need to do a more practical experiment to understand its function."

That request shook me to the core. The Snag Machine was me, I had gotten so used to its presence on my right arm it felt like it was my arm.

"If you're right about Cipher coming back, then the safest place for the machine is with me. I took Cipher's every shot and I'm still standing. If you're right about Cipher and you have the snag machine, you'll be a sitting duck for one of their goon squads. I should keep it."

"Its a risk we have to take. If Cipher comes back and you're not around, that would be just as bad, if not worse. If Cipher takes our new Snag Machine, we can always make another. If we don't have a second Snag Machine to start with, we're right out of luck."

"I think you should listen to Krane, Wes. He has a good point" Duking chipped in with agreement

"Yeah Wes. Listen to the Professor, he's on our side, you know, the good guys." Rui added and then she turned to look at me with her great blue eyes. I just couldn't say no to her.

"… Fine, you can have the Machine. But only for a few days, I'll come back for it." I snarled in anger and reluctantly took off my left arm and placed the Snag Machine on Duking's desk. I felt naked, empty even. The Machine has been a part of my life for so long, I had forgotten why my own flesh and blood looked like.

"Thank you Wes, I greatly appreciate it. My lab is to the Northeast of Gateon. You are on your way there, yes? Swing by in a few days and I should be done with my initial observations then. This leads me to the second reason I'm here. Rui, do you know why you can see the black aura of Shadow Pokemon?"

"Nope. Many people have asked me that and I still have no clue. Maybe its just a fluke or something?"

"Interesting. In addition to creating another Snag Machine, I want to create a device that can identify Shadow Pokemon. An 'Aura Reader' if you will. By synching the Aura Reader with the Snag Machine, I can make sure the Snag Machine if and only if a Shadow Pokemon is being targeted. That way, I can prevent misuse of the Snag Machine if the wrong people get their hands on it and prevent normal Pokemon from being snagged."

"Wow, that's super cool Professor. By why ask me if I know how my abilities work."

"You see, identifying Shadow Pokemon is an area where Cipher has very little research for obvious reasons, so I'm essentially starting from scratch. Any information you have on your powers would be a great help for my research."

"Sorry Professor, I got nothing for you. Wish I could help."

"I see… hmm, when Wes comes to retrieve his Machine, why don't you come as well? I would like to talk with you and learn more about your abilities. I would stay now, but I really need to get back to my lab and make sure my idjit assistant did not blow anything else up. Give me your PDA number as well so we can stay in touch."

I reluctantly handed my PDA over to Krane who fiddled with it and punched in some numbers in the contacts section.

"There we go, you now have my contact info. It's been a pleasure to meet you Wes and Rui. Come visit me in a few days and I should have everything ready to go. And Duking, I made some progress on that thing you had me look at. I think its coming along nicely. I'll be in touch."

Krane gathered the Snag Machine in his arm and then exited the premises.

"What did the Professor mean by that thing you had him look at" Rui spoke up.

"Oh that, just some personal project of mine. Nothing to worry about." Duking replied, but with some hesitation in his voice. I don't think Duking was being entirely honest, but I wasn't going to press him. Duking has done enough for us, he's entitled to a secret or two.

"Where did you find that guy, anyway Duking?" I added. "Something about him doesn't sit with right me."

"Krane found me actually. With Es Cade revealed as Cipher's ring leader, I guess I'm the closest thing Orre has as an authority figure anymore. He sought me out and we talked about his plans and such. I liked his ideas and what he aims to build and accomplish. His lab is based out of an abandoned warehouse outside of Gateon. He expecting some of his old equipment to arrive on the ship I told you about. So the timing works great for everyone. And of course you don't like him Wes, you don't like a lot of people.

"Anyway Duking, I have a favor to ask of you."

"Eh sure. What is it?"

"I can't keep of the Pokemon I snagged and purified. There are just too many of them and I can't give all of them the attention. But I bet you will meet many other promising trainers wandering through Pyrite sometime in the future. If they win a Colosseum challenge, or earn your approval, or give Cail a hard time, or whatever, could you give them one of my Pokemon as a reward? They could use a good home with a good trainer."

"You sure you want this Wes?

"Positive. I thought this through a good deal. I also gave some of them to old man Eagun for the same purpose. I captured forty-eight Shadow Pokemon and really only trained about ten of them. I'll still train the ones I have a strong attachment to as they were my partners in this crazy adventure. I think I'll hang onto Sandrock and Heavyarms as well, they're simply too dangerous to let back into the wild or handoff to some random trainer. Those two are better off with me. I already gave old man Eagun some of my Pokemon as well for the same reason."

"And what of the Beasts you captured from the Admins. Will you keep those as well?"

"No, I already released the Beasts. It was the right thing to do. The Beasts are not meant to be controlled by man, they are wild creatures, essences of nature themselves. Keeping them contained with me … would end poorly, I think"

"Hahaha, you truly are a unique individual. I can't think of many people that would willingly release three legendary Pokemon. Maybe you are a Saint after all."

I groaned and rolled my eyes at Duking's latest quip.

"Yes yes, I know how much you hate being called that. But yes, I accept your request. Without a Center in Pyrite, it will take me a few days to set up a mass PC transfer on my end. Let me know when you get to Gateon and we can proceed with the transfer from there. You're gonna make a bunch of kids really happy Wes. When I first met you all those years ago, I never would have thought you turned into some big hero."

"Rui's been a good influence on me, what can I say. Anyway, thanks for everything Duking. We'll see you whenever."

"Before you go Wes, I have some advice for you. As you probably know Rui, Kanto, and everywhere else really, have these things called rules and society and a lot of niceties that Orre lacks. You can't keep on threatening to feed people you don't like to that Tyranitar of yours. You are going to land yourself in some deep trouble and I can't bail you out half a world away. The stories of El Cruzador the Desert Warrior means little over there" Duking said, simultaneously stroking his mustache

"I do that one time and can no one drop it? I wasn't actually gonna use Fein as Sandrock's new chew toy. Just wanted to scare him a little." I mumbled dismissively. It was such a drag to hear the same quip over and over.

"You just threatened Cail, like, half an hour ago" Rui kindly reminded me

"What's this now?"

"Nothing, nothing." I mumbled very quickly

"Nonetheless, be careful over there. Kanto seems safer, and it is, but they have their own customs and won't take kindly to an Orre interloper smashing heads. Listen to your girlfriend every now and then.

"Come on Duking, its a vacation. It's not like I'm gonna challenge every guy I see to a battle. Do you really think I'm that nuts."

"Considering you picked a fight with just about everyone in this town at one point or another, do you want me to answer that?"

"...You may have a point after all. Fine, no street brawls."

"Well with that said, I don't have anything left to say. It's been an honor Wes, Rui. I'll see you again sometime in the future."

"It's been fun Duking. Well, see you around, I guess"

"Yeah, Mr. Duking. Thanks for everything you did for us over our journey."

"It's been my pleasure. Now get off you two."

And with that, our business with Duking concluded and we made our way to the Pyrite Grand Hotel for a good night's rest.

* * *

The Pyrite Grand Hotel was not the most reputable establishment on the best of the days. It looked like an outstanding building on the outside, and it was for Pyrite Town, but inside was a cesspool of sex, drugs, and occasional villainy. The look the clerk gave us when we rented a room with only one bed didn't help either. I sat on the bed, waiting for Rui to finish her shower. The hotel amenities were a lot nicer than one would think, especially compared to the hotel in The Under. Management must have upgraded a few of the rooms since the last time I was here. I heard the rush of water slowly cut off in the next room and Rui emerged wearing nothing but a short towel wrapped around her midsection. And then she dropped it all right in front of me.

She was beautiful. Her body glowed the with the brilliance of a thousand lights and the magnificence of life itself. She sauntered up to me, her body swaying with every step and her hair moving with every motion. She used her body to tease me and she knew how to use it. Oh how I would get her back when she was screaming my name in joy. I took her hand in mine and pulled her into an embrace. Our hands were all over each other as we kissed and caressed the right spots. The passion overtook us as our bodies mingled in the dark and we joined as one. No words were needed between us as we let the ecstasy carry us through the night.

 **A/N: I never got around to XD so this is my interpretation of things for that game. Wes and Rui are both obviously older than the standard game protags, they're both adults by the time Colosseum wrapped up. Wes is ~20 and Rui is ~18 or so IMO.**


End file.
